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2019 Lexus UX 250h F Sport - Ownership Review and Updates
I won't get into initial impressions covered in this thread but I will cover my discoveries and impressions throughout my ownership in this thread.
My initial impressions hold true still today, with 1+ month of ownership and nearly 2k km on the odometer.
MAIN IMPRESSIONS
The ride quality is what has us impressed the most. With such a relatively short wheelbase (104"), you'd expect a choppy, "school-bus" ride but on the contrary - the ride quality is as good as its biggest brother (RX) in overall composure and impact harshness, and arguably a tad better than the NX in both areas.
Top build quality, fit/finish. Everything feels solidly built with excellent materials - LS-like switchgear, HVAC controls, RTI pad/radio controls, door grab handle, console, the buttery smooth nuluxe F Sport seats, etc including the solid feel of the door slam. Panel gaps, paint quality, etc no visible defects (unlike my Stinger and past A4). Lexus has not skimped here and looks/feels as good as any other more-expensive Lexus vehicles I've owned.
The handling is nimble, closer in feel to a sporty hatch than any CUV. Minimal body roll and short wheelbase make the UX feel sporty and well controlled. The tight turning circle also helps in malls and parking lots.
The fuel economy is also quite good though the wider performance rubber and cargo box I added do take away from the MPGs. Despite these, we're averaging 6.6 L/100km (or 35 MPG) mixed city/hwy. I would suspect the EPA's ~40MPG is definitely attainable without any mods.
The premium sound system is also surprisingly quite good. Although only 8 speakers (includes sub-woofer in the trunk) produces clear and rich audio with deep bass, nearly as good as hi-fi sound systems I have had such as Mark Levinson and currently the Harmon Kardon premium sound in the Stinger. At 70%+ volume though it will distort more than the hi-fi sound systems. In short, for a non-ML sound system, it surpasses my expectations and better than the NX and RX non-ML "premium" sound systems.
The smooth powertrain has been impressive as well. The transition between electric and ICE is nearly imperceptible in sound and feel, unless you are under hard acceleration where some engine whine is expected. Aside from a very slight vibration at low rpms, no harshness is felt throughout the rev range making this 2L 4cyl arguably the smoothest 4-banger I've owned (~ tied with the A4's 2.0T).
The front seat comfort is superb. The tactile feel of the Nuluxe combined with the supportive shape of the F Sport seats coddle the body perfectly.
MAIN SHORTCOMINGS
The cargo capacity is small. It's a tad bigger than the CT was. 17 cu ft is tight for any hatchback let alone a CUV. The problem is the height. Three grocery bins and a couple of grocery bags and cargo is nearly maxed. Blame the electric motor to power the rear wheels that shaves off 5" in cargo height (5 cu ft) from the UX 200. Of course, for any family travel more than two people, a cargo box is a must which is what we invested in.
Tiny fuel tank capacity. 40L (10.6 gallons) negates the benefit of the high MPGs by still having to visit the gas station more often than I'd like.
Thick B-pillar and its placement relative to my seating position creates an unusually large blind spot.
Low door clearance. The integrated door sill protects one's pants from accumulated dirt/snow/rain during ingress/egress but it barely clears some sidewalk curbs.
Some cheap hard plastic. Although this is expected in the lower door panels and dash in this price-range, what is disappointing is the entire main rear-door panel is hard plastic, and the matte black trim around the gear selector is very scratch-prone.
Summary Pros
Solid build quality
Fit + finish
Ride quality
Turning circle
NVH
Ergonomics
Unique styling
Premium sound
Step-in height
Quick opening power back door, reliable kick
Nimble handling
Responsive powertrain/tranny
Large HUD
Safety features, accurate LKA/LTA
Improved infotainment, voice, and RTI
Full heated steering wheel
Nuluxe durability and premium tactile feel
Large Qi charger pad
Summary Cons
Low door curb clearance
Small gas tank
Scratch-prone matte-black console trim surrounding tranny
Just thought I would say, the Canadian Government classifies this UX as a car. Not an SUV. I think we will see most sedan cars turn into something along the lines of the UX.
Just thought I would say, the Canadian Government classifies this UX as a car. Not an SUV. I think we will see most sedan cars turn into something along the UX.
Thanks Jill. Interesting on the classification, though technically, I would agree the UX is more car than SUV, much like the GLA and QX30.
would you consider this as a spiritual successor to the CT200h? could they have just called it the second gen of that car and got away with it? from what you described about the cargo and footprint i would think so.
Excellent review. Much of if agrees with my own impressions during both the static-review and road test of the UX Hybrid F-Sport model, though I will defer to your longer-term experience as an actual owner.
Great review as always. It's on my short list until I can actually drive one. I'm afraid though the 10 gal tank would be a serious disadvantage along with the small cargo area for my needs.
Having been a previous NX owner, how would you compare the two besides size? Anything new Lexus has incorporated? Anything you miss in the NX?
Also, How is the touchpad? It's my biggest issue with an infotainment interface, it didn't work for me in my NX.
Have you tried using Apple Car Play? That is a shame the gas tank is just 40litres.
Why is the Enform irrelevant?
Yep, gas tank is too small I have Android so unfortunately not able to try CarPlay.
The Enform app suite (in Canada) has 5 or so app that feel so outdated (Sports news, Stocks, Slacker, etc) in their functionality and output. Furthermore, you need to launch the Enform app on your phone every time to enable it, and twice it did not work initially. Finally, no remote start available with Enform in Canada (unlike the US). After 3 uses, I uninstalled it on my phone.
Originally Posted by evident
would you consider this as a spiritual successor to the CT200h? could they have just called it the second gen of that car and got away with it? from what you described about the cargo and footprint i would think so.
Perhaps "spiritual successor" is the furthest I'd go and not say this is a second gen CT. The UX is 5 inches longer, taller, wider and it does look more like a CUV than the hot-hatch look of the CT. A next-gen CT would resemble the shorter, lower, more planted look of the new Corolla hatchback IMO.
Originally Posted by mmarshall
Excellent review. Much of if agrees with my own impressions during both the static-review and road test of the UX Hybrid F-Sport model, though I will defer to your longer-term experience as an actual owner.
Thanks MM. Yes, the 250h is the way to go and I'll post updates in this thread down the road...
Originally Posted by Hoovey2411
Glad you are enjoying your 250h. The car overall is leaps and bounds better than the CT 200h
Thanks. In terms of NVH/power and overall refinement, UX is notably better. In terms of interior space/cargo, just a little roomier. What I liked about the CT was the equally well built car/materials and the superb 50 MPGs!
Originally Posted by rogerh00
Great review as always. It's on my short list until I can actually drive one. I'm afraid though the 10 gal tank would be a serious disadvantage along with the small cargo area for my needs.
Having been a previous NX owner, how would you compare the two besides size? Anything new Lexus has incorporated? Anything you miss in the NX?
Also, How is the touchpad? It's my biggest issue with an infotainment interface, it didn't work for me in my NX.
Yes, the gas tank is small though thankfully, I still fill up less frequently than the RX despite the nearly double size. The RX (and NX) we'd fill up at about 400 km while the UX over 500km.
The UX (vs NX):
- feels lighter and more nimble, significantly better turning circle.
- similarly high build quality and materials though NX had soft-touch rear door panels
- similar NVH to the NX (powertrain, wind noise, road noise) though under hard acceleration, UX probably a tad louder.
- is slower than the NX turbo though the UX only requires 87 octane fuel.
- has "Lexus concierge" which is basically Auto-mode for the HVAC, seat heating/ventilation, and steering heat.
- has the updated UI in the Infotainment. Some small improvements like secondary menus appear as you hover over primary menu selections.
- has a cheaper prop rod for the hood and push-button fuel door. Fuel door feels thin and cheap.
- rear power hatch opens/closes more quickly
- no spare tire
- rear seats do not recline
- has the trick sliding F Sport gauge cluster.
- cup holders smaller
- Qi wireless charging pad is bigger and can accommodate large phones.
- next gen steering wheel (LS-like) with integrated cruise control (gone is the "Toyota-like" cruise control stalk)
- better Lane-Trace-Assist (keeps the UX nearly dead-center in the lane)
- radio controls and touchapd (to me) are perfectly located by my arm nicely rested on the center armrest
- RTI is similar in touch, feel, and response. However, it does allow handwriting recognition. (might be a deal breaker still for you).
- hands-free voice commands is improved: recognizes more natural commands, and all said in one shot like "destination to 123 Street State" and it recognizes it.
- center armrest opens both left and right (like the LS) though capacity is smaller
- larger HUD
- cargo net placement is behind the seats (prefer the location at the opening of the cargo like the NX, RX.
- ingress/egress is fine though a bit easier in the NX, especially at the rear.
- lower integrated door sill higher risk of scraping curbs when opening the door. I recall the NX's being at least a couple inches higher.
- full steering heat (vs partial on the NX).
- smaller glove box
- cheap foldable cargo cover (I have it "permanently" stored underfloor)
- no pull-out center console mirror !
We miss the NX's "right-size" (interior + exterior) and overall look of "DarthNX" . The UX for us is an interim vehicle until the next NX arrives hopefully in 18 months or so is my guesstimate.
Yep, gas tank is too small I have Android so unfortunately not able to try CarPlay.
The Enform app suite (in Canada) has 5 or so app that feel so outdated (Sports news, Stocks, Slacker, etc) in their functionality and output. Furthermore, you need to launch the Enform app on your phone every time to enable it, and twice it did not work initially. Finally, no remote start available with Enform in Canada (unlike the US). After 3 uses, I uninstalled it on my phone.
I tried Enform on the 2019 Avalon. Pretty much useless. Really did not see the point of having it. Does UX navigation work in the gauge cluster as well as the head ups display?
Yes, the gas tank is small though thankfully, I still fill up less frequently than the RX despite the nearly double size. The RX (and NX) we'd fill up at about 400 km while the UX over 500km.
The UX (vs NX):
- feels lighter and more nimble, significantly better turning circle.
- similarly high build quality and materials though NX had soft-touch rear door panels
- similar NVH to the NX (powertrain, wind noise, road noise) though under hard acceleration, UX probably a tad louder.
- is slower than the NX turbo though the UX only requires 87 octane fuel.
- has "Lexus concierge" which is basically Auto-mode for the HVAC, seat heating/ventilation, and steering heat.
- has the updated UI in the Infotainment. Some small improvements like secondary menus appear as you hover over primary menu selections.
- has a cheaper prop rod for the hood and push-button fuel door. Fuel door feels thin and cheap.
- rear power hatch opens/closes more quickly
- no spare tire
- rear seats do not recline
- has the trick sliding F Sport gauge cluster.
- cup holders smaller
- Qi wireless charging pad is bigger and can accommodate large phones.
- next gen steering wheel (LS-like) with integrated cruise control (gone is the "Toyota-like" cruise control stalk)
- better Lane-Trace-Assist (keeps the UX nearly dead-center in the lane)
- radio controls and touchapd (to me) are perfectly located by my arm nicely rested on the center armrest
- RTI is similar in touch, feel, and response. However, it does allow handwriting recognition. (might be a deal breaker still for you).
- hands-free voice commands is improved: recognizes more natural commands, and all said in one shot like "destination to 123 Street State" and it recognizes it.
- center armrest opens both left and right (like the LS) though capacity is smaller
- larger HUD
- cargo net placement is behind the seats (prefer the location at the opening of the cargo like the NX, RX.
- ingress/egress is fine though a bit easier in the NX, especially at the rear.
- lower integrated door sill higher risk of scraping curbs when opening the door. I recall the NX's being at least a couple inches higher.
- full steering heat (vs partial on the NX).
- smaller glove box
- cheap foldable cargo cover (I have it "permanently" stored underfloor)
- no pull-out center console mirror !
We miss the NX's "right-size" (interior + exterior) and overall look of "DarthNX" . The UX for us is an interim vehicle until the next NX arrives hopefully in 18 months or so is my guesstimate.
Thanks for great response. You pointed out out a lot of interesting things. All in all, I think can afford to wait to see what the new NX brings to the table. Maybe even an EV option
Love the DarthNX photo, you had a great run in the NX forum. You provided many tips, tricks, and mods for us all to enjoy.
I tried Enform on the 2019 Avalon. Pretty much useless. Really did not see the point of having it. Does UX navigation work in the gauge cluster as well as the head ups display?
Yes, nav directions also visible in the TFT screen in the gauge cluster but only if you slide the F Sport speedometer/RPM bezel.
Originally Posted by rogerh00
Thanks for great response. You pointed out out a lot of interesting things. All in all, I think can afford to wait to see what the new NX brings to the table. Maybe even an EV option
Love the DarthNX photo, you had a great run in the NX forum. You provided many tips, tricks, and mods for us all to enjoy.
Yeah, if you're patient, wait for the next NX. Indeed, the NX Forum was a great run. UX Forum is a bit more challenging as the readership is nowhere near that of the NX but it is slowly building up.
06-15-19, 05:52 PM
2019 Lexus UX 250h F Sport - Ownership Review and Updates
The ride quality is what has us impressed the most. With such a relatively short wheelbase (104"), you'd expect a choppy, "school-bus" ride but on the contrary - the ride quality is as good as its biggest brother (RX) in overall composure and impact harshness, and arguably a tad better than the NX in both areas.
The cargo capacity is small. It's a tad bigger than the CT was. 17 cu ft is tight for any hatchback let alone a CUV. The problem is the height. Three grocery bins and a couple of grocery bags and cargo is nearly maxed. Blame the electric motor to power the rear wheels that shaves off 5" in cargo height (5 cu ft) from the UX 200. Of course, for any family travel more than two people, a cargo box is a must which is what we invested in.
Much of if agrees with my own impressions during both the static-review and road test of the UX Hybrid F-Sport model, though I will defer to your longer-term experience as an actual owner.
